MONTHS AFTER receiving a complaint via an online public grievance redressal forum of the government of India that a senior citizen had been duped, Tilak Nagar police on Saturday registered a case of cheating and forgery against a group of real estate developers.

The developers, Ramesh Seth and three of his partners, moved the sessions court for anticipatory bail. The matter will be heard on October 17. The accused have not been arrested yet.

According to police, 72-year-old Sakarben Cheddah, owner of an apartment in Chembur (east), was allegedly duped by developers Suresh Enterprises by allegedly mortgaging Cheddah’s flat to a finance company without her knowledge.

Two years after Cheddah bought the flat from the builders, officials of GIC Housing Finance told her they wanted to seize the house as the builder had defaulted on a Rs 29 lakh bank loan.

“The builder, Ramesh Seth of Suresh Enterprises, had given the senior citizen a no objection certificate and never informed Cheddah that he had mortaged the flat and taken a loan. We scrutinized documents from at least five different agencies and found Cheddah was not the borrower and that the finance company had given a housing loan to Seth and his partners, who had defaulted in repaying the dues, the latter’s account was classified as a non-performing asset,” said Vijay Khaire, senior police inspector, Tilak Nagar police.

On January 6, the company’s officials arrived with the Tilak Nagar police along with nearly two dozen people to evict the family with a court order.

Police said Cheddah wrote her complaint through an email on January 18 and subsequently an FIR was registered two days ago.